SDCC ’08: Mr. Disgusting Reviews ‘Ghostbusters’ Game Demo

My geek moment at this weekend’s San Diego Comic Con was getting to play Sony and Activision’s GHOSTBUSTERS video game, which arrives on all platforms this October. I had the chance to play it for a pretty long time and decided to write up my thoughts on the game and play style, which can be found inside. Too bad the panel was canceled because Dan Aykroyd decided not to show up (boo!)I’m not much of a gamer, so please excuse any lack of terminology used or if I miss any special points normally touched upon during video game reviews, but I will try my best…

The one announcement last year that singlehandedly got me to purchase a video game console was that Sony, Activision and Sierra were teaming up to bring a GHOSTBUSTER sequel to the fans in the form of a video game. The clips hit the web and immediately October seemed like it was way too far away.

Today at the San Diego Comic Con I was treated to a 30-minute demo of the game that had me sliming myself in no time. I hopped onto a PS3 (even though I’m purchasing for Xbox) and was taken into the world of the Ghostbusters. I play a new Ghostbuster learning the ropes and trying out new devices.

After getting used to the controls I walked around a library as I was scolded at by my fellow employers who lead me down the path I need to follow. Occasionally I would get stuck and would have to pull out my PKE meter (A PKE meter is a handheld device, used in locating and measuring Psycho-Kinetic Energy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts) to find a hidden ghost. Once I came near the ghoul it would jolt out at me and race across the room. It scared the living daylights out of me twice. Eventually I mad it into a room where I got to light up my proton pack and zap a ghost and throw out my trap to catch it.

The controls were really easy to use and the 3rd person navigation wasn’t as difficult to manage as I thought it might be. The screen prompts you to hit certain buttons, which is great for people like me who can’t remember what button does what.

On top of it all the graphics were incredible. The only real flaw was that it looked a little grainy, like the blacks on a Blu-ray disc on a HD TV. The three-dimensional aspect of the game is astounding, especially when I was walking through the library and books are hitting me from left and right and walls are erected out of books right in my face.

Based on my first run-in with the GHOSTBUSTERS game, it was beyond my expectations and left me begging for hours more. With nearly 12-hours of game play and the online multiplayer capabilities, I expect this to take over my October.